Abstract in another language

X-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation has been used to study the phase transitions in compounds M5Ir 4Si 10 with M a rare-earth metal. For M = Er, Ho and Er 0.84Lu 0.16 phase transitions have been found towards a combined commensurate/incommensurate state, that locks into a commensurate state at lower temperatures. For M = Lu and Er 0.66Lu 0.34 there is a single transition towards a commensurate state. The results are interpreted in terms of commensurate structural transitions that induce incommensurate CDWs.